Stop the speed devils

Riding a bike over 100 kmph at Marine Drive, a drag racer almost lost his life. On Thursday midnight, a 21-year-old motorcyclist was racing with around 20 others on the 3-km long Marine Drive when he crashed into a taxi taking a turn and sustained severe injuries.

The police reached the spot, drew up a panchnama and took the injured to Sion hospital.

Within minutes, the other bikers resumed the race on the near-empty Marine Drive stretch where the speed limit is 55 kmph.

The motorcyclist — the police refused to reveal his name — was discharged from hospital on Sunday.

Additional Commissioner of Police (South Zone) R.K. Padmanabhan said he was unaware of the accident and did not want to say “anything offhand regarding the drag racers at Marine Drive”.

“It’s [drag racing] an illegal practice and taints everyone associated with it. They are a menace to motorists and community members,” said Nitin Dosa, executive chairman, Western India Automobile Association.

But drag races are a common sight after midnight at Marine Drive in south Mumbai and Bandra Reclamation in the western suburbs.